Sisters and Sons
by saxwarrior
Summary: Submitted for Round 8 of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Narcissa Black.


The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 8: The Blacks

Chaser 1 Prompt: Narcissa Black

Additional Prompts: "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." – Albus Dumbledore

Sisters and Sons

Thirteen-year old Narcissa's wet hair and damp robes dragged her down as she ran into the girls bathroom. Tears meshing with the raindrops on her face, she threw herself inside a stall and slammed the door shut.

She sat on the toilet seat and cried. She let it all out- she couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. How could her own sister do that to her?

The door to the loo opened and Cissy heard a familiar voice call her name.

"G-Go away!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "I don't want to talk to you ever again! I hate you!"

It wasn't the first time Cissy had screamed that at her sister, and they both knew it wouldn't be the last.

Andromeda Black waved her wand and the dirt and grime on the bathroom floor vanished. Her job done, Meda sat in the clean spot, directly facing the stall where Cissy was hiding so that all Cissy could see were her crossed legs. Cissy had always been impressed with Meda's sanitation spells. All the teachers said Meda had a promising future as a Healer if she desired.

"You know what you saw," said Meda.

Cissy sniffled. "You were with- *sniff- him! That... Hufflepuff mudblood!"

"Cissy, don't say words like that," snapped Meda, suddenly stern. She was quiet for a moment- listening to her sister's sobbing- before speaking again, softer. Yes, I was with Ted. We're partners in charms. I quite like him."

"But I don't understand," said Cissy. "He's... a mud- I mean... muggle born. You know what mum and dad say about them! You know what Bella would do if she found out!"

Meda nodded, forgetting for a second Cissy couldn't see her through the stall door. "Yes, I do. You're right. Mum, Dad, and Bella will be upset."

"Upset!" cried Cissy, jumping off of the toilet seat and swinging the stall door open. "They'll be bloody livid!"

"But why should they be?" asked Meda. "As I said, I like being with Ted. He's funny and cute in a weird, dorky way. I like him and he likes me." Meda looked thoughtful and shrugged. "That's really all there is to it."

Cissy blinked several times with confusion. Meda was saying all this like it wasn't a big deal! Just cavorting around Hogsmeade on Halloween with a mudbl- shit- muggle born! It wasn't right!

"But Meda, you can't!"

The older Slytherin reached out and took her younger sister's hand. Cissy hesitated but allowed Meda to draw her in closer. "I understand that this is going to be hard for you and the others to accept." Cissy noticed Meda wipe a tear away from her eye.

"When I was your age," Meda said, "I was sent to Dumbledore's office."

Cissy cast her memory back. That would've been before her time at Hogwarts. She didn't remember anything about it. "For what?"

"Predictably enough, I was fighting," chuckled Meda. "Bella and a few of her friends were, well..." she faded off, as if she were unsure of what to say. "To be honest, they were bullying another student."

Cissy blinked. Bella? Bully someone?

"I thought only Gryffindors were bullies," she said.

"Anyone can be a bully," said Meda. "And our sister had a hex on a Ravenclaw student. He was a Muggle born."

Cissy's eyes widened. Bella was hexing someone? Would she really?

"I told her to stop," said Meda. "I was with her, I think she wanted me to join in. Afterwards, the lot of us were taken up to Dumbledore's office."

The door to the bathroom opened and in stepped a few second year girls. "Oh," one of them said at the sight of Meda and Cissy, the former sitting cross-legged on the floor and the other standing taller, holding her hand.

"So sorry," said Meda, rising but keeping hold of Cissy's hand. "We're done."

Cissy noticed the yellow Hufflepuff colors sewn into their robes. Why did they have to leave for them?

"Let's go somewhere a bit more private," said Meda, once they were in the corridor.

"We could've made them leave," muttered Cissy.

Ignoring her sister's comment, Meda led Cissy to a window wide enough for them to sit on the ledge and look out over the grounds.

"Where was I?" asked Meda. "Oh, right. We were taken to Dumbledore's office and we all told our side of the story. Bella was not in the least ashamed of what she'd been doing. Dumbledore gave her and the others a detention and told them to go, but asked that I stayed behind.

"He told me that I did a very brave thing standing up to my own sister like that."

Cissy blinked. "I don't understand. What was that old codger-"

"He means," interrupted Meda, "that it's hard to stand up to people you don't like, but it's even harder to stand up to your friends and family and tell them what they're doing is wrong.

"Me and Ted... that's what we're doing." Meda elaborated. "We are standing up to our friends and families and telling them the way they think is wrong."

Cissy snorted. "Who is Ted standing up to?"

Meda cocked her head to one side. "Don't be naive, Cissy. His friends in Hufflepuff think he's an idiot for going out with a Slytherin and his Muggle family wasn't all too thrilled to find out he probably wouldn't wind up with a Muggle girl."

Cissy turned away from her sister. "I still don't understand how you can date that Mudblo- I mean, Muggleborn."

Meda looked at her sister with sadness in her eyes. "Maybe someday you will."

...

...

Twenty-three years later...

Narcissa was waiting at Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters with her husband Lucius. Their son, Draco, was just returning from his first year of school.

They watched as the train arrived (Lucius made some comment or another about dangerous Muggle machinery) and after a moment or two of searching through the crowd of students, they found their Draco.

"Welcome home, Draco," said Lucius as a greeting. Narcissa stooped down to give him a hug. "You've grown!" she said, astounded.

"You said the same thing in Easter," said Draco, dismissively.

The parents noticed his odd behavior.

"Everything alright, Draco?" asked Lucius. "I thought you'd be thrilled. You said in your last letter that Slytherin was a shoo-in for the House Cup."

"Well, then Dumbledore and Harry Potter happened!" snapped Draco. Once they'd Apparated home, Draco told them the entire story of the Feast where Dumbledore had awarded one-hundred and seventy points to Harry Potter and his friends.

"That's just outrageous!" said Lucius. "What did they do?"

"They stopped the Dark Lord from coming back or something," said Draco. "Apparently one of the teachers was working with him."

Lucius looked suddenly tense. "I didn't even know he was alive," he said quietly.

"But at first," said Draco, "they only had about a hundred and sixty points and it was tied, but then the old man went and gave ten more points to some loser who didn't even do anything!"

"He can't give points for no reason," said Narcissa, huffily. "What did he say it was for?"

"I can't really remember," said Draco. "Something like it takes more bravery to stand up to your friends or something along those lines."

Narcissa blinked. "It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends."

"Yeah, that was it!" said Draco, not really listening to his mother. "Saint Potter and his loyal gang. I can't believe it. Where's that rotten house elf? I have laundry needs doing."

Lucius left the room, presumably to talk to some of the old crowd about what Draco had told them. Draco wandered off in search of Dobby.

Alone, Narcissa approached the drawing room end-table. Pulling on a drawer, she unfolded a long, faded letter. It was from her sister, Andromeda, addressed on the date of her wedding. She had ended up marrying Ted Tonks.

Cissy skimmed the letter down to the very end.

_I finally remembered what it was Professor Dumbledore told me on that day I first saw Bella for who she really was. He told me, 'It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.' I hope you'll remember that and eventually understand why I've done what I have. _

_All the love in the world, _

_Your sister, Meda _


End file.
